In agriculture, a raised field is a large, cultivated elevation, typically bounded by water-filled ditches, that is used to allow cultivators to control environmental factors such as moisture levels, frost damage, and flooding.
[1] Examples of raised field agriculture can be found among some Pre-Hispanic cultures of Latin America, such as those from tropical lowlands and the Budi Lake Mapuche.
[2] Pre-Hispanic raised fields are known from the region near Santa Cruz de Mompox in northern Colombia and in the Llanos de Moxos region of lowland Bolivia.
Ancient raised-field agriculture has also been documented in Central America at Pulltrouser Swamp in Belize, where it was practiced by the Maya civilization.
Toltec and Aztec people also practiced raised-field agriculture on the shore of Lake Texcoco, where these fields were known as chinampas.